title: Regulation of VEGF expression in human retinal cells by cytokines: implications for the role of inflammation in age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: Chronic inflammation is implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) observed in exudative form of AMD results in vision loss. Human retinal pigment epithelial cell (HRPE) layer and choroidal tissue are the primary pathological sites in AMD. Pathological and therapeutic evidences have strongly indicated the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) molecules as critical components in CNV pathogenesis. In these studies, we used human primary HRPE and choroidal fibroblast cells (HCHF) prepared from adult donor eyes. The effects of inflammatory cytokine (IFN-γ+ TNF-α+IL-1β) mix (ICM) on global gene expression profiles in HRPE cells, revealed 10- and 9-fold increase in VEGF-A and VEGF-C expression, respectively. The microarray results were validated by quantitative RT-PCR and secretion of VEGFs proteins. IL-1β is the most potent in inducing VEGFs secretion followed by IFN-γ and TNF-α, and the secretion was more effective in the presence of 2 and 3 cytokines. NF-κB and JAK-STAT pathway, but not HIF-1α, Sp-1, Sp-3, and STAT-3, transcription factors were upregulated and translocated to nucleus by ICM treatment. The mRNA levels of VEGF-A and VEGF-C and secretion of these proteins were also significantly enhanced by ICM in HCHF cells. The secretion of other angiogenic molecules, PEDF, SDF-1α, endostatin, and angiopoietins was not affected by ICM. Our results show that the inflammatory cytokines enhance secretion of VEGF-A and VEGF-C by HRPE and HCHF cells. These studies indicate that VEGFs secreted by these cells initiate and promote pathological choroidal and retinal noevascularization processes in AMD.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. naginenic@nei.nih.gov
authors.forename: Chandrasekharam N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Nagineni
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Kommineni
authors.forename: Abitha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: William
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Detrick
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hooks
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002829:Choroid / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; C467484:VEGFA protein, human; C467486:VEGFC protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C